Author Topic: Battle Mountain 2016  (Read 16805 times)

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Battle Mountain 2016
« on: 28 August, 2016, 03:17:54 am »
A couple of weeks before things get going but I'll just leave this here in case anyone gets lonely.  Ushual rules apply i.e.
There's probably some inconsequential guff on Facebook too but ICBA to look for it.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

billplumtree

  • Plumbing the well of gitness
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #1 on: 28 August, 2016, 09:07:11 am »
Yay!  It's that time again!  *happy dance*

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #2 on: 29 August, 2016, 02:32:13 am »
Recumbent seat Easy chair - check.
Large tub of Butterkist - check.

Ready when you are, Mr. L.   :thumbsup:
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #3 on: 29 August, 2016, 03:22:23 am »
For the avoidance of doubt, day 2 of the Automatic Diary was put up just now.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Tigerrr

  • That England that was wont to conquer others Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
  • Not really a Tiger.
    • Humanist Celebrant.
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #4 on: 30 August, 2016, 07:15:52 am »
Lookng forward to your updates.
Humanists UK Funeral and Wedding Celebrant. Trying for godless goodness.
http://humanist.org.uk/michaellaird

Oranj

  • Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it?
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #5 on: 30 August, 2016, 10:14:08 pm »
Tuning in.

Nice, er, bridges  :thumbsup:

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #6 on: 02 September, 2016, 10:12:21 am »
I would urge everyone (OMNES?) to read Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary every morning. Fer teh rofflez...

Sets me up for the day, so it does.  :thumbsup:
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #7 on: 02 September, 2016, 03:35:58 pm »
OOI is there a way to get an RSS feed of the Automatic Diary, or is the webby SCIENCE strictly semiautomatic?

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #8 on: 02 September, 2016, 04:24:01 pm »
Tenuous claim to fame:
I rode a a 200 past that self same Blue Whale back in 2013:

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=71458.msg1480846#msg1480846

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #9 on: 03 September, 2016, 12:45:35 am »
OOI is there a way to get an RSS feed of the Automatic Diary, or is the webby SCIENCE strictly semiautomatic?

I haz no idea, on account of not really knowing what an RSS feed is, never mind whether Blogger can be beaten over the head until it does one.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Arellcat

  • Velonautte
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #10 on: 05 September, 2016, 10:37:47 pm »
Blogger does RSS.

Go to the Automatic Diary's dashboard > Settings > Other, and under 'Site Feed' select the relevant option.  For my own blog I select 'Custom'.  For 'Blog Posts Feed' I select 'Full'; for 'Blog Comment Feed' I select 'Short', and 'Per Post Comments Feed' I select 'Short'.

The URL would become http://automatic-diary.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
Quote from: Morningsider
I like that you think any of your conveyances might qualify as "a disguise".

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #11 on: 05 September, 2016, 10:55:05 pm »
Hurrah!  Now fully automatic.   :thumbsup:

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #12 on: 06 September, 2016, 01:27:25 am »
I never done nuffink to it so it must have been like that all along...
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

billplumtree

  • Plumbing the well of gitness
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #13 on: 06 September, 2016, 12:50:16 pm »
I have to confess to being slightly saddened, and at the same time amused, by the fact that The Automatic Diary is, it turns out, actually automatic...

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #14 on: 06 September, 2016, 03:04:38 pm »
I have to confess to being slightly saddened, and at the same time amused, by the fact that The Automatic Diary is, it turns out, actually automatic...

If it could write itself during the day rather than causing me to stay up late every night scratching my head and mumbling "I'm sure I took a photo of that car/bridge/set of Burma-Shave signs/Scorching Plain™/Dalek" I'd be a happy man, or at least less prone to jaw-cracking yawns over breakfast.

Professor Sir Lord Timer in Chief Jun Nogami has put together a handy guide to the runners and riders.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #15 on: 10 September, 2016, 11:08:32 pm »
Just arrived and thus far have seen:
  • Some people polishing a streamlined object outside at different motel
  • A big crate with no bikes in it but a label indicating it originated in the Nether Lands
  • Frank & Joyce, Larry Lem's brother and sister, who don't know where Larry is either
  • Steve Nash's van
but then it's still early doors here.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #16 on: 11 September, 2016, 11:20:29 pm »
Just back in from doing the course setup - stands, straw bales, wood product boards along the bridge guard rails etc.  First bunchof photos uploaded to here: clicky.  Subsequent days will be accessible from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_larrington/albums in individual albums for each day.  Chances are that I'll be downsizing them before upload for the rest of the week as the Internets here are rather sluggish.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #17 on: 12 September, 2016, 06:55:16 am »
I Notice that almost all of these have soem kind of complicated front wheel drive system.

Does the added complexity and weight outweigh the mechanical drag of long lengths of chain to a back wheel?

Also, what's the average chain ring size there?
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #18 on: 12 September, 2016, 07:46:09 am »
I'd guess a decent FWD system is probably as light, if not lighter than an RWD one and you don't have to pass the chain under, over, or through the rider.  Chainring sizes vary somewhat as the use of some kind of crossover drive with step-up gearing means you don't necessarily have to have a really huge ring, but PulsaR, the Italian bike, has a 108T single ring and RWD.  Anything up to about 65T is reasonably readily available but above that they tend to be custom jobs.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #19 on: 12 September, 2016, 11:11:01 pm »
Qualifying this morning mostly went OK though a few launch wobbles, time overruns and mad Russians shooting through the catch area at R17.  I'm driving the chase car for Team Cygnus again this year and am able to report that:
  • My man Jan-Marcel van Dijken got away first time, and
  • My man Jan-Marcel van Dijken was fastest of all this morning at 61.65 mph, and
  • A Chevy Suburban is even more horrible to drive than a Ford Explosion Expedition
Weather windy and none to warm, and it doesn't seem to have warmed up much sice we got back to town.  Forecast in general is a bit shit for the start of the week but improving later one.  Pictures from this morning and tonight at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_larrington/sets/72157670500931764; full results at https://jnyyz.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/bm2016-monday-morning-qualifying/
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #20 on: 13 September, 2016, 06:29:53 am »
Monday evening was a bit of a poor thing as the wind remained at illegally high level for the duration.  We had twelve machines scheduled to ride but only seven actually opted to ride.  The naughty Frenchies tried to sneak one in to replace one of the DNS folks but were thwarted by chain issues1.  Top speed of the night was Todd Reichert in Eta, with a 76.37 mph clocking into an 11 mph headwind; Gareth Hanks did 65.54 into an even stronger wind.  Fair to middling possibility of rain at some point tomorrow but the forecast improves later in the week.  Bit like last year, really.

1: I voiced the opinion that Aurélien Bonneteau's huge shaggy beard had become entangled in the gears but apparently this was not the case.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #21 on: 13 September, 2016, 06:36:46 am »
What's the quaifying speed again?
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #22 on: 13 September, 2016, 07:14:02 am »
In theory 60 mph but because the wind was so 'orrible this morning the fastest twelve were offered runs on the full course in the evening, which in practice meant the cutoff was about 53 mph.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #23 on: 13 September, 2016, 03:58:12 pm »
Mr Larrington gets up.  Mr Larrington absorbs a large mug of Brown Drink and a certain quantity of nicotine.  Mr Larrington fires up the Ratmobile1 and heads out to the course.  Two miles short of the catch area Mr Larrington spots the University of Toronto boys and girls hightailing it back to town.  Mr Larrington switches on his windscreen wipers.  Mr Larrington pulls into the parking lot to find a bunch of bedraggled volunteers, Scousers, Mexicans, armed robbers ect. ect. all saying the same thing: cancelled.  If you can't see Mount Lewis because weather then you're not going to be running any bikes in that session.  Troop back to town muttering vile curses and wondering where we can obtain a Small Furry Animal for sacrifice to the Weather Gods without PETA finding out.  Bah!

1: The back of which having been artfully redecorated by the sticky fingers of marauding Dutchmen to make it look like the horsey badge is doning a poo >:(
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Battle Mountain 2016
« Reply #24 on: 13 September, 2016, 05:30:05 pm »
From comments elsewhere, perhaps you could sacrifice a Frenchman (regardless of size and hirsuteness) instead.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup: